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For the Beauty

“For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies –

for the love which from our birth over and around us lies –

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.”

Every shade of peach, brown, orange, yellow, gold, red that is found on the trees, in the field, in the harvest, at the table…

Every shade of green: lime, kelly, sage, hunter, reminding us of life and energy that we did not create…

Every taste we save for the season: caramel, pumpkin, apple, pecan, cider…

Sunflowers bow their heads and let down their seeds for next year while the withering brown stalks of corn blow in the wind – though it feels like yesterday they were vibrant green and yellow giants.

From the changing leaves to the steady evergreens…

From the birds preparing their flight to the squirrels preparing their stay…

Our seemingly mundane January through December gets a golden hour.

The excitement and worries – the old and new plans – the hopes and the failures – the uncomfortable and the unknown in relationships, finances, children, teens, marriage – just life here on earth –

is heavy –

but the backdrop behind it all –

is beauty.

While life is heavy – yes, right in the middle of it – God paints beauty across the sky, in the sunsets, in the surprising chill of the shade and the last moments of warm sun.

How kind of Him.

And how telling.

What is He telling you?

I think the extreme beauty of this season is a reminder that life will remain heavy no matter what details change, but that He’s still here with us, creating new beauty when the old ends, and He will keep on even when we can’t see it.

I think it’s a reminder to learn how to carry a burden, a long term cross, without waiting to live – without waiting to give thanks, without waiting to mourn, without waiting to hope again, without waiting for more – can we let Him be enough for us?

I think it’s a reminder to find the special and marvel at it.

To stop to watch the leaves fall when a gust of wind blows through the trees.

To pause and enjoy that little shiver, knowing full well how luxurious a blanket feels when we need one.

As autumn is a reflection of His beauty, His comfort, and His plan, may we enjoy Him in every aspect of it!

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Tune My Heart to Sing Thy Grace

This line is from one of my favorite hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

I have often tuned my heart along the key of my self rather than His grace.

My self improvement. My self righteousness. My self importance.

Ann Voskamp in her book, Waymaker, uses the phrase “drowning in self-importance.” Jesus rescues her from that…

and me, too.

It starts so innocently. We just want to be our best. Please our parents. Serve God. Make a difference. Not waste our one life.

As we grow in our skills and well meaning attempts, encouragement and accomplishments can bring on “rising star syndrome” (I think I just made that up?) which keeps us looking for applause well after the crowds have left.

We fall hard from the sky when our focus is on how well we can carry on in the duties, responsibilities, privileges, and tasks of the life He has given us. We fall hard when we are sick, tired, frustrated, misunderstood, or forgetful of why we are doing what we are doing in the first place.

But if we allow Him to tune our heart to sing His grace, we switch from a focus on that old covenant of works to the new covenant of grace. From a covenant of performance to a covenant of acceptance. From behavior to belonging. From death to life. From us to Him.

Oh, to bring the focus back to HIM!

HE is perfect. HE is good. HE is wise. HE is faithful. HE is all the things we wish we were.

Yes, He is conforming us to His likeness – He is restoring His glory in us – to be hope and light on this earth –

But still, still…

The joy comes when we understand it isn’t about US.

So –

“Come Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

call for songs of loudest praise.”